Combined coal and gas range.



G. W. CLARK. COMBINED COAL AND GAS RANGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9II9I1. 1 3L-@@, Patented Apr. 29,1919.

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Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED IULY 9.!917.

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GEORGE W. CLARK, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED COAL AND GAS RANGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1912.

Application filed July 9, 1917. Serial No. 179,520.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Combined Coal and Gas Ranges, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a combined coal and gas range which, without requiring the user to remove or replace any parts when changing from one kind of fuel to the other, shall be as eflicient, so far as the oven is concerned, as any coal range and, when burninggaseous fuel, shall possees a maximum efficiency as a gas range.

A further object of my invention is to produce a gas burning arrangement for ovens which will permit the. flame to be turned very low without danger that it will be blown out or shoot back to the air inlet end of the burner when the oven door is opened or for any other cause.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccomp anying drawings, wherein Figure lis a-vertical sectionthrough a range constructed in accordance with the present invention on a planeiparallel with thefront and back of the range;

Fig. 2 is a section taken approximately on line 22 of Fig. 1; and V Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on line 33 of Fig. 2.

7 Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the oven of any usual or suitable coal range. At two opposed sides, that is at the side adj acent to the ashpit and at the opposite side and adjacent to the bottom of the oven, are arranged small prostrate tunnels or fiues, 2 and 3, which preferably lie outside of the planes of the inner .faces of the two side walls of the oven in order not to decrease the width of the oven. These tunnels or fiues may conveniently be formed by causing the main castings which form the walls of-the oven to bulge outwardly, the inner walls of the tunnels or flues being formed by plates, 4, whose lower edges are spaced apart from the bottom wall of the oven to provide long slots or passages through which the flame and hot gases may be projected. In each tunnel is a burner, 5, which may be a simple tubular member extending from one end of the tunnel to the other and provided with a series of orifices or outlets, 6, so disposed that the flame from one burner will be directed toward the other burner through the flame slot or outlet. The orifices in the burner may be so disposed that the flames will extend horizontally or else they may be caused to incline either upwardly or downwardly.

Each of the cover plates, 4:, is preferably provided with a lip or flange 7, which overhangs the corresponding burner in such a way as to shield it against dripping or splashing grease or other material. At the rear end of the oven the tunnels 2 and 3 communicate with a pair of tunnels, 8 and 9, extending along the rear of the oven and preferably outside thereof from the tunnels or fiues 2 and 3 through the back smoke fiue 10, and terminating in communication with an air chamber, 11, extending through the back smoke flue. Supply pipes, 12, 12, extend through the tunnels or flues 8 and 9 and are joined to the rear ends of the burners, the supply pipes being connected to and leading from a head, 13, arranged within an air chamber, 11. The member 13 is provided with the usual air inlet ports, 1%, in an adjustable valve or head, 15. Gas is supplied through apipe, 16, ending in a nipple-or nozzle, 17, which enters the member 13 axially of the latter. These parts may of course take any usual or suitable construction as the particular details illustrated are simply those of a well known device for admitting gas toa burner or burners and at the same time drawing in airto mingle with the gas before it is discharged through the burner outlets. The front of the air chamber 11 is closed'by the rear wall of the oven while at the sides and at the top and bottom the air chamber is completely surrounded by the main smoke flue. The back of the air chamber is formed by or has arranged therein a movable door, 18, which may conveniently be hinged at the top as indicated at 19 so that it will normally close by gravity. When the door is closed, communication between the chamber 11 and the outside atmosphere is interrupted and consequently there can be no flow of air in either direction between the oven and the outside atmosphere through the flues or tunnels connecting the oven and the chamber, 11, and, since the mixing head, 13, is arranged wholly within the chamber 11, no air can flow into or out of the even through the burners when the door, 18, is closed.

For the purpose of permitting the escape of the combustion gases I have formed discharge outlets in the bottom of the oven through which the gases may escape into the usual smoke flue 20 underlying the oven. There are preferably a series of these openings, 21, arranged in a row midway between and parallel with the burners and extending from the front to the rear of the oven. The openings, 21, are preferably arranged in the bottom of a depression, 22, within which lies a valve ordamper, 23, in. the form of a slide provided with perforations, 24:, equal in number and spacing to the openings 21. The damper is somewhat shorter than the recess 22 so that it may be moved from a position in which the two sets of holes register with each other to a position in which the holes 21 are covered by a solid portion of the damper or slide.

If desired, an auxiliary slide, 25, may be placed on the under side of the oven wall below the damper; the slide 25 being connected to the damper so as to be movable therewith, and taking the form of a comb the teeth or fingers of which will serve to shear or scrape off any masses of soot which might tend to collect underneath the bottom wall of the oven around the discharge openings therein.

The oven damper, the air controlling door, and the gas valve may be controlled in any suitable way but I prefer to connect them all together so that they will move in unison so that the amount of gas, the amount of air, and the effective size of the discharge outlet for the combustion products will vary one with the other so that there will always be maintained the proper relation between them and, whenever the gas is turned off, the oven will be sealed against the entrance of air thereto .or its escape therefrom. To this end I have connected to the rear end of the damper, 23, an actuating member, 26, which extends through the rear wall of the oven into the chamber 11. At the rear end of the member 26 is a finger, 27, which engages with the door 18 and swings it open as the damper is moved into its open position; the parts being so proportioned that when the damper 23 is closed the door 18 will also be closed. The member 26 is also provided with rack teeth, 28, adapted to be en- I gaged by the teeth of a gear segment, 29, on

a shaft, 30, extending along the rear of the range. At one side of the range is a rotatable operating rod, 31, having a handle, 32, at the front end. The rear end of the operating rod is connected to the movable member, 33, of a valve in the gas supply pipe 16. A bevel gear segment, 34, on the rod or shaft, 31, meshes with a complementary segmental tooth member, 35, on the shaft 30; whereby, when the handle 32 is turned, the gas valve, the damper and the air controlling door are operated simultaneously. As heretofore stated, the parts are so proportioned that when the gas is turned off the air door will be closed and the damper will also be closed and, when the gas is turned on, the air door and the damper are opened to the proper degree to furnish the requisite amount of air both into the interior of the burners and through the burner tunnels or flues, and an outlet for the escape of the combustion products best suited for the particular conditions then existing.

The outlet openings or orifices in the burners may be graduated in size from the rear of the oven toward the front, so that no matter how little gas is flowing, it will always be properly distributed throughout the length of the burners.

It will be seen that all of the air which enters the oven for the purpose of sustaining combustion, whether it passes through the burners or through the burner tunnels or flues, enters at the hottest point, namely through the main back smoke flue, and is thuspreheated; this being particularly true of the air which flows through the tunnels or flues 8 and 9 and thenthrough the tunnels or fiues 2 and 3 and down over the burners in order there to mingle with the gas flames. Thus, eflicient combustion re sults and because the products of combustion flow evenly from the burner flues or tunnels to the center of the oven, an even distribution of heat across the entire oven is economically effected. It is not necessary to provide means for carrying any of the combustion gases into the upper regions of the oven because no cool air or other gaseous fluid can remain in the upper regions of the oven as it will always be displaced by ascendinghotter gaseous fluids. It is therefore possible to bake or roast at any desired elevation in the oven.

The automatic control of the air and gas, not only the main supply of air, but also that entering the burners through the mixing head, is a very important feature because it, for the first time, so far as I am aware, so regulates all of the air and the gas that the flame may be turned very low without danger that it will be blown out or will be carried back into the mixing head when the oven door is open; making it possible to avoid waste through the use of a higher flame than is necessary for the maintenance of the propel tem erature in the oven simfply for .the purposeof insuring that the burner .willremain properly lighted at all times; vbecause with my improved method of regulation, the flame need at no timebe 7 any higherthan isnecessary to produce the required number of heat units for the maintenance ofa given temperature in the oven.

I no parts to be removed or replaced in order to transform the range from a coal burning range to a gas burning range. The elimlnatlon of all parts which must be removed or replaced has not only the result of making the rangeextremely convenient, but because there are no bafiie plates or other devices for confining and directing or deflecting the 1 flamesand combustion gases, there is no in terference with the free and even distribution of heat and therefore much better results are obtained when gas is being burned than are possible in ranges which obstruct or interfere with the free distribution of heat by ineansof baflle plates or thelike.

mile I have referred to coal as one of the two fuels, it will of course be understood that instead of coal any other suitable fuel may be employed. Furthermore, while I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed 'in'the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims. I claim:

1. In combination with a coal range having an oven, a smoke flue underlying the oven and a back smoke flue; auxiliary flues lyingat opposite sides of the oven and communicating therewith through long slots or openings adjacent to the bottom of the oven; burners in said auxiliary flues, an air passage extending through the back smoke flue and communicating with said auxiliary flues, means including an air mixin device arranged in said passage for supplylng fuel to said burners, and a damper controlled smoke outlet extending through the bottom of the oven into the smoke flue underlying the oven.

2. In combination with a coal range having an oven, a smoke flue underlying the oven and a back smoke flue; auxiliary flues lying at opposite sides of the oven and communicating therewith through long slots o-r openings adjacent to the bottom of the oven; burners in said auxiliary flues, an air passage extending through the back smoke flue and communicating with said auxiliary flues, means including an air mixing device arranged in said passage for supplying fuel to said burners, a movable closure for said passage, and a damper controlled smoke outlet extending through the bottom of the oven into;the smoke flue underlying the oven.

3. The combination with a coal range having an oven, a smoke flue underlying the .oven, and-a back smoke fine, a damper-controlled outletin the bottom of the oven for connecting the interior of the oven with the smoke flue underlying the same, a burner located in position to cause the combustion gases to enter the oven, there being an air passage extending through the rear smoke flue and communicating at its inner end with the oven in proximity to the burner; andmeans including a device located in said ipassage formixing air with gas for supplying fuel to the burner.

4. The combination with a coal range'having an oven, a smoke flue underlying the oven, and a back smoke flue, a damper-controlled outlet in the bottom of the oven for connecting the interior of the oven with the smoke flue underlying the same, a burner located in position. to cause the combustion gases to enter the oven, there being an air passage extending through the rear smoke flue and communicating at its inner end with the oven in proximity to the burner; a closing device for the outer end of said passage;

'a' gas controlling valve; means for simultaneously controlling said damper, said passage closing device and said gas valve; and

- means includinga device located in said passage for mixing air fuel to the burner.

5. The combination with an oven, of prostrate flues lying at opposite sides thereof and communicatingwit-h the oven through elongated slots extending from the front to the rear of the oven ad1acent to the bottom of the latter, burners in said fines and having the openings therein located so as to cause the flames to extend laterally into the oven, means including a device for mixing atmosphcrie air with gas for supplying aseous fuel to the burners, a damper-controllbd outlet for combustion gases in the bottom of the oven, and means for simultaneously controlling the achnission of air to said device and to said fines.

6. The combination with an oven having smoke outlets through one wall thereof, a damper arranged within the oven to control said outlets and slidable along the wall of the oven in which the outlets are located, and a cleaning device lying on the opposite side of the latter wall and movable with the damper, said cleaning device having parts adapted to travel across said outlet when the damper is moved and prevent soot from collecting on the discharge side of said outlets.

7. In combination with a coal range having an oven, and a smoke flue at the rear with gas for supplying thereof; an auxiliary flue lying at one side of the oven and communicating therewith through an elongated opening adjacent to the bottom of the oven; a burner in said auxiliary flue, an air passage extending through said back smoke flue and communicating with said auxiliary flue, means including an air mixing device arranged in said passage for supplying fuel to said burners; and a damper controlled smoke outlet in the lower regions of the oven.

8. In combination with a coal range hav- 7 mg an oven, and a smoke flue at the rear thereof; an auxiliary flue lying at one side of the oven and communicating therewith through an elongated opening adjacent to the bottom of the oven; a burner in said auxiliary flue, an air passage extending through said back smoke flue and communicating with said auxiliary flue, means including an air mixing device arranged in said passage for supplying fuel to said burners, and means for controlling the admission of air to said passage.

9. In combination with a coal range having an oven and a smoke flue at the rear thereof; an auxiliary flue for a burner communicating with the interior of the oven; a burner in said auxiliary flue; there being an air passage extendin through the back smoke flue and communicating with said auxlllary flue; means moludmg an air IIllX- ing device arranged in said passage for supplying fuel to said burner, and means for controlling the admission of air to said passage.

10. The combination with an oven, of chambers or flues extending along the sides of the oven and each communicating with the interior of the oven through a long narrow opening, burners mounted in said flues in such a manner that the air passing from the flues through said openings is prevented from flowing behind and underneath the burners but must pass across the top of the latter, and a valve-controlled smoke outlet in the lower portion of the oven.

11. The combination with an oven, of chambers or flues extending along the sides of the oven and each communicating with the interior of the oventhrough a long narrow opening, burners mounted in said flues in such a manner that the air passing from the flues through said openings is prevented from flowing; behind and underneath the burners but must pass across the top of the latter, and an elongated valve-controlled outlet in the bottom wall of the oven at a point between said flues and extending parallel therewith.

12. The combination with an oven, of an air flue extending along one side thereof in the vicinity of the bottom and communicating with the interior of the oven through a long narrow opening adjacent to the bottom of the oven, a. burner lying in said flue and fitting against an adjacent wall of the latter so as to prevent air from passing behind and underneath the burner and compel it to pass across the top of the burner in flowing from the flue into the oven, and a valve-controlled smoke outlet in the lower region of the oven at a point remote from said flue.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

GEORGE W. CLARK.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

